Bates confident Leeds can be a ‘big club’ but doubts still surround future

KEN BATES has insisted that Leeds have been given “a clean start” after his consortium bought the troubled League One club — but doubts remain over the club’s Football League future.

The Elland Road club were put up for sale on Friday by administrators KPMG after the Inland Revenue launched a legal challenge to Bates’ original plans to buy back the club from administration.

And former Chelsea chairman Bates is looking forward to taking the club forward as they prepare for their first ever season outside of the top two divisions after KPMG agreed to sell United to Bates yesterday.